Dalai Lama inaugurates Buddha Smriti Park in Patna

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar greets Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on his arrival at Patna airport on Wednesday. Dalai Lama arrived here to inaugurate the Buddha Smriti Park on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Thursday inaugurated Buddha Smriti Park here and planted a sapling of the Mahabodhi banyan tree brought from Sri Lanka on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.

Relics of the Buddhist era brought from Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar and South Korea were installed in the Park built by Bihar government to commemorate the 2550th anniversary of ‘mahanirvana’ (salvation) of Lord Buddha.

Accompanied by Governor Devanand Kunwar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, the Tibetan spiritual leader lit a lamp and took part in a religious ceremony before formally inaugurating a state-of-the-art Buddhist religious structure.

Elaborate multi-layered security arrangement was put in place in and around the venue in view of the Dalai Lama’s visit, police said.

The Park has been built at a cost of over Rs. 100 crore near the Patna railway junction.

It has a meditation centre, museum, stupas and a multi-storied car park and is expected to draw tourists from across the world, official sources said.